- The Core Fee Structure: $598 Total
- Where Each Dollar Goes: Application vs. Examination
- Costs Outside the Fee Schedule
- How Testing Windows and Deadlines Affect Your Budget
- Smart Preparation Spending by Domain Weight
- The Four-Year Cost: Renewal and Late Fees
- Getting Your Employer to Pay
- Weighing the Cost Against the Credential
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Initial Certified Hospice Manager certification costs US$598: a US$99 application plus a US$499 examination fee.
- Renewal every four years costs US$398 (US$99 application plus US$299), and late renewal within the one-year grace period adds US$99.
- Application approval lasts 12 months, so unused approval means paying the application fee again.
- The CAHSAH hospice manager course is optional and billed separately from the NBHHC fees.
The Core Fee Structure: $598 Total
The Certified Hospice Manager (CHM) credential is awarded by the National Board for Home Care and Hospice Certification (NBHHC). Professional Testing (PTI) coordinates administration, and computer-based exams are delivered through Pearson VUE test centers, with approved onsite paper testing also available. The published fee structure is refreshingly simple: two charges, both paid as part of the initial process.
| Fee Component | Amount (USD) | When You Pay It |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $99 | When you submit your application and documentation |
| Examination fee | $499 | As part of the initial certification process |
| Initial certification total | $598 | Before sitting for the exam |
| Renewal application + renewal fee | $99 + $299 = $398 | Every four years |
| Late renewal surcharge | +$99 | Only if renewing late within the permitted one-year period |
That $598 is the figure to budget for, and it is notably modest compared with many healthcare management credentials. Whether it is a good investment depends on your career goals, which we explore in our complete ROI analysis of the CHM certification.
Where Each Dollar Goes: Application vs. Examination
The $99 Application Fee
The application fee covers review of your eligibility file. NBHHC reviewers evaluate your education, your supervisory or management experience, and your references. This is more than clerical: the board is verifying that you qualify before you ever see an exam question. Eligibility pathways include:
- A bachelor's or master's degree plus 1 year of hospice supervisory/management experience
- An associate degree plus 2 years
- A high-school diploma or health-related professional license plus 3 years
On top of the pathway requirements, you need relevant management or leadership employment for at least 12 of the last 48 months, evidence of education and work history, and three healthcare-industry references (with your current employer listed first when applicable). Experience is prorated based on the time you spend on management duties. For the full eligibility picture, see CHM Requirements: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
The $499 Examination Fee
The examination fee pays for the exam itself. The test runs 80 to 100 questions in a 2-hour limit, uses single-answer selected-response items, is closed book, reports results as pass/fail, and carries no guessing penalty. Because there is no penalty for wrong answers, you should never leave a question blank. For the scoring mechanics, read CHM Passing Score: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Costs Outside the Fee Schedule
The NBHHC fees are only part of the picture. Real-world candidates should plan for several adjacent expenses that never appear on the fee schedule.
Optional Course Tuition
The CAHSAH hospice manager course is an optional preparation route, and its tuition is separate from the $598 certification cost. Treat it as a discretionary purchase rather than a requirement: the credential does not mandate it. If your employer subsidizes professional development, the course may be a candidate for reimbursement. Our CHM training overview compares preparation routes so you can judge whether structured coursework fits your situation.
Time Off Work
A 2-hour exam is short, but travel to a Pearson VUE center, check-in, and decompression time can consume a half day. Hospice managers often carry on-call responsibilities, so build coverage into your plan. This is a real cost even though no invoice arrives for it.
Study Materials
Your preparation budget is entirely in your control. At minimum, read the official NBHHC candidate handbook and the seven-domain blueprint, both freely available through the NBHHC and CAHSAH resources. Beyond that, practice questions that mirror the single-answer, scenario-driven style of the real exam are the highest-value purchase. You can start with the CHM practice test on our main site before committing money to anything else.
How Testing Windows and Deadlines Affect Your Budget
The CHM computer-based exam is offered in defined testing windows rather than on demand, and each window has its own application deadline. Missing a deadline doesn't add a fee, but it pushes you to the next window, which stretches your timeline and can strain that 12-month approval period.
| 2026 Testing Window | Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| February 1-28 | January 20 |
| April 14-May 12 | April 7 |
| August 1-31 | July 21 |
| November 1-30 | October 20 |
Notice the gaps: there is no window between mid-May and August, and none between February and mid-April. If you apply right after a deadline closes, you may wait months for the next window. Plan backward from your target window, and confirm all dates on our CHM exam dates and scheduling guide before paying anything.
Smart Preparation Spending by Domain Weight
The cheapest way to pass is to avoid paying for a retake, and the most reliable way to avoid a retake is to spend your preparation time where the points are. The blueprint is heavily weighted toward people-management and compliance content, so your hours and dollars should follow.
| Domain | Weight | Spending Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resource Basic Practices and Law | 30% | Highest |
| Management Skills | 20% | High |
| Regulatory Processes for Hospices | 20% | High |
| Leadership Skills | 10% | Moderate |
| Financial Management and Budgeting | 10% | Moderate |
| Customer Service | 5% | Light review |
| Marketing and Sales | 5% | Light review |
Human Resource Basic Practices and Law (30%)
Nearly a third of your score. Candidates who come up through clinical roles often have the thinnest background here, so this is where a paid resource earns its keep.
- Hiring: job descriptions, interviewing, and lawful selection practices
- Coaching and progressive discipline, including documentation that withstands scrutiny
- Staffing models, scheduling, and managing overtime and on-call coverage
- Employment law fundamentals that govern a hospice workforce
Management Skills (20%) and Regulatory Processes for Hospices (20%)
Together these account for 40% of the exam. Management Skills tests day-to-day operational judgment; the regulatory domain tests whether you know the rules your agency must follow.
- Documentation expectations and survey readiness
- Hospice regulations and compliance obligations
- Quality improvement concepts and how managers act on data
For a domain-by-domain breakdown of what each area covers, see CHM Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas.
A Weight-Driven Study Sequence
If you have limited time, sequence your preparation so the heavy domains get the earliest and longest attention.
Human Resource Basic Practices and Law
- Work scenario questions on hiring, coaching, discipline, and staffing
- Review employment law concepts until you can apply them, not just define them
Management Skills and Regulatory Processes
- Practice documentation and quality improvement cases
- Map hospice regulations to the situations a manager actually faces
Leadership, Finance, Customer Service, Marketing
- Cover the four smaller domains, which together make up 30% of the exam
- Finish with a full timed run of 80-100 questions in two hours
Our CHM study guide expands this into a complete plan, and the CHM cheat sheet is a handy last-week review. If you're wondering how demanding the material really is before you invest, read How Hard Is the CHM Exam?
The Four-Year Cost: Renewal and Late Fees
Certification is not a one-time purchase. Your CHM credential lasts 4 years, and keeping it requires meeting both a points threshold and a cash outlay.
Renewal Requirements
- 50 points total, including at least 36 continuing-education contact hours and no more than 14 other points
- Relevant management or leadership work for 12 of the preceding 48 months
- A $99 application fee plus a $299 renewal fee, totaling $398
Late Renewal
Renewing within the permitted one-year late period is possible, but it adds $99, bringing the total to $497. That is an avoidable penalty: set a calendar reminder well before your four-year mark and track your continuing-education hours as you earn them rather than scrambling at the end.
Total Cost of Ownership
Across a full cycle, a CHM who certifies and renews on time pays $598 up front and $398 four years later, or $996 in NBHHC fees, before any optional coursework or continuing education. Continuing-education costs vary widely by provider, and many agencies offer free in-service hours that can count toward your 36-hour requirement; verify eligibility against the renewal handbook before assuming a given activity qualifies. See our CHM certification overview for how the credential fits into a longer career arc.
Getting Your Employer to Pay
At $598, the CHM is inexpensive enough that many hospice and home care organizations will reimburse it fully, especially if you frame it around the agency's own needs. Hospice providers face scrutiny on staffing, documentation, and compliance, which are exactly the areas weighted most heavily on this exam. A manager who has demonstrated competence in Regulatory Processes for Hospices (20%) and Human Resource Basic Practices and Law (30%) directly reduces organizational risk.
Making the Case
- Cite the specific domains and tie them to current agency challenges, such as turnover, survey readiness, or documentation quality
- Offer to share what you learn with your leadership team after preparing
- Ask whether the employer will also cover the optional CAHSAH course tuition, the renewal fees, or paid time for the exam
- Propose a modest commitment, such as remaining with the agency for a set period after reimbursement, if policy requires it
Key Takeaway
Ask about reimbursement before you pay the $99 application fee, not after. Many employer programs require pre-approval, and getting written confirmation of what is covered (application, exam, course, renewal) prevents unpleasant surprises.
Weighing the Cost Against the Credential
A $598 initial investment and $398 renewal are small relative to the responsibility hospice managers carry. The credential signals verified competence in supervision, human resources, regulatory compliance, and financial management, and it can strengthen your standing when seeking roles at hospice and home care organizations. Browse the CHM jobs overview to see where certified managers work, and consult the CHM salary guide for how credentials relate to hospice manager earnings.
Before you commit, it also helps to understand how the exam's difficulty translates into real preparation effort; the data on CHM pass rates is worth reviewing. When you're ready to test your knowledge against exam-style scenarios, take a free CHM practice test to find your weakest domains before you pay a single NBHHC fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Initial certification costs US$598, made up of a US$99 application fee and a US$499 examination fee. This covers the NBHHC process only. The optional CAHSAH hospice manager course is billed separately, and any study materials you buy are additional.
Renewal costs US$398 (a US$99 application fee plus a US$299 renewal fee) every four years. If you renew late but within the permitted one-year period, an additional US$99 applies. You also need 50 points, including at least 36 continuing-education contact hours.
No. The CAHSAH hospice manager course is optional preparation. Eligibility is determined by your education and hospice supervisory or management experience, not by completing a course. Its tuition is separate from the $598 certification fees.
Application approval lasts 12 months, and you must obtain an Authorization to Test before scheduling with Pearson VUE. If the approval lapses before you sit for the exam, you may need to reapply and pay the application fee again, so schedule within your approval period.
Plan for study materials, possible time off work for travel and testing, optional course tuition, and continuing-education expenses for renewal. These vary by individual. Many employers reimburse some or all of these costs, so ask about support before you pay.